Running fiber through a city sewers with a model sub

Francesco sez, "Italian Company uses an RC scale model Submarine to lay fiber through city's sewage system. The submarine used is the NETPUNE SB-1 produced by Taiwanese company Thunder Tiger. It costs ca $600 and can be found in many US hobby shops. The NEPTUNE SB1 adopts a static diving system driven by a ballast tank with pump & motor unit. Start the pump to induct the water into the ballast tank. Control the amount of water in the ballast tank, the submarine can dive from the surface and stay underwater in static. Using the propulsion power unit and full elevator and rudder control, you can drive the submarine graceful sailing underwater."

Focus e Modellismo: Neptune, il sottomarino radiocomandato della Sabattinicars, posa i cavi ADSL nelle fognature

Google Translate's English version

I write books. My latest is a YA science fiction novel called Homeland (it's the sequel to Little Brother). More books: Rapture of the Nerds (a novel, with Charlie Stross); With a Little Help (short stories); and The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow (novella and nonfic). I speak all over the place and I tweet and tumble, too.

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Takuan

was Raquel Welch on board?
Anonymous

I realize fiber is thin, but don’t we need the sewer capacity?
If all of that fiber gets used, that will mean more telecommuting, which will mean more need for that sewer capacity!
Anonymous

This reminds me of a story about a team of fitters using a small dachshund to literally run cables over the dropped ceiling. It has been running on that Russian website, which unfortunately doesn’t have a translated version.

http://ithappens.ru/story/1003, if you can read Russian, or use Google on it if you can’t.
Anonymous

uh. that’s not water in that ballast tank.
Anonymous

Similiar concept to the remote controlled 4×4 I use to run cat5 through drop panel ceilings. A huge time saver.

That sub is way cool though! I assume it has a camera too? Maybe I should go get one.
kenmce

Now what happens exactly when they decide it’s time to clean that sewer??
Anonymous

ew. Fibre break.
IWood

And what happens when the Blue Meanies show up? What then?
jenjen

Wow, the internets run through actual human waste? That explains a lot.
Itsumishi

This is possibly the most awesome thing I’ve read on Boing Boing in a long while. Kudos Boing Boing. Kudos.
Anonymous

“hell, i layed fiber through *my* city’s sewer system, all I needed was a couple of granola bars.”

hilarious!!!

anyways, sounds like a shitty use for a pretty cool toy.
Nword

They say ADSL cables, I’m wondering if they’re actually pulling E1 cable bundles..

Either way I’ve seen them doing similar things in a smaller city where I live, it’s a lot easier than digging up cobblestone roads.
Francesco Fondi

@ITSUMISHI “This is possibly the most awesome thing I’ve read on Boing Boing in a long while.”

Wow!! Thank you!
hadlock

It looks like they’re running fiber optic cables to DSLAMS, what they use for last mile/to the curb/to the house is up for grabs. I know King County (Seattle, Wa) was having massive issues getting across highways and a lot of the county’s fiber network also goes through sewers. Suprisingly a lot of fiber goes through highway overpasses. Not the type that are made of giant I-Beams, but big boxy sections of concrete – once you start looking for them you’ll see them more and more. These are hollow and are great for crossing over highways. The DART rail system in Dallas also makes extensive use of the sewers in and around downtown Dallas (pretty much the only reason why the rail here runs at all on time!).
Anonymous

hell, i layed fiber through *my* city’s sewer system, all I needed was a couple of granola bars.